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1) Your full name must be listed in your profile or signature in order to use the Trading Post or Wanted sections. You must also include your location. City and State/Province/Country is preferred. This is so all parties involved in a trade can verify who they are dealing with. If you do not have this information shown in your profile or signature, your post will be hidden from view until you correct it. Anyone caught falsifying this information is subject to punishment, up to being permanently banned from this site.

2) ALL TRADES ARE A RISK and based solely on trust, so make sure you feel comfortable with your trading partner, and confident your trade will be successfully completed. If you're not sure a potential trading partner is trustworthy, ask your fellow MCM forum members, or look through the Great Traders post, located here: http://www.modelcars...showtopic=60963 If you're not sure, err on the side of caution. Most times, your gut reaction is right, so follow your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, don't proceed with the trade.

3) Use some form of tracking to allow both you and you trading partner to find out when your packages were shipped, where they are, and when they will or have arrived. Go one step further and PM your trading partner the tracking number to keep them up to date on their package's status. When trading internationally, remember that the cost of sending a package with some form of tracking will be considerably more expensive than shipping inside your own country.

4) Good communication is important, so keep your trading partner updated and informed. If you are not able to make it to the Post Office to mail a package, let your trading partner know there will be a delay. Stuff happens in life which is more important than a model kit or two, but that's not an excuse to keep your trading partner in the dark. The vast majority of traders will be more than willing to wait an extra week or two if they are made aware of any potential delays. Communicate well and trades will go smoothly.

5) Package your items well. A bubble mailer should be used at a minimum when shipping small parts, as a business sized envelope or an old cereal box folded in two offers no protection for the items inside. Bubble mailers are cheap at Dollar Tree, Wal*Mart, USPS, UPS Stores, etc. Plenty of places sell bubble mailers and other packaging materials, so spend a little more on the mailing package to ensure your trading partner gets the items they are supposed to in undamaged condition. Packing peanuts, bubble wrap, styrofoam, old newspapers, etc.-- all are easy to find second hand, so stash a box of it somewhere, and use it to add some extra protection for the items you mail.

6) No stores near you to pick up shipping supplies? USPS delivers boxes for FREE, right to your door, and they'll even pick them up for FREE, too! If you print shipping labels online at http://www.USPS.com , you never even need to leave the house. UPS and FedEx will pick up packages for free, too.

7) Make sure you give a detailed, accurate description of the items you're trading away if you don't have the ability to take and post images of the items. Nobody is ever disappointed when they receive their trade items and they're in better shape than or exactly as pictured and/or described, but when someone fails to mention a broken A-pillar, worn chrome, or a built up that's a complete glue bomb, people will be disappointed (to put it mildly). Avoid any potential disappointment by giving a full, detailed description of the items you're trading from the start.

8) "Never trade anything you can't afford to lose." Every trade is a risk you agree to take, even if the risk is extremely low. The vast majority of MCM members are honest people who want to simply enjoy building models, so please take a few extra steps to make sure your potential trading partner is trustworthy before you proceed.

9) If you are a new member with relatively few posts, you may want to consider offering to ship your item first, so that your trading partner is assured that you are trustworthy and can ship their half of the trade with confidence. People can be a bit skeptical of new members who have a very low post count and are active in the Trading Post and Wanted sections, and while this does not at all mean new members aren't trustworthy, it's just a reminder than human nature comes into play here on the forum, too. We were all new members at one time, too, but all it takes is one good trade to establish yourself as a good trader, so this suggestion is just something you might want to consider.

10) Moderators are not able to police every transaction, and nor do we want to. We come here to discuss models and enjoy the hobby just like you, but occasionally there are times when it might be a good idea to send a Private Message (PM) to a Moderator to get some help, advice, or let them know there is some sort of problem regarding a trade. Please remember that there's only so much we can do to help, and again, we are not here to ensure that every trade goes off perfectly, but we will try to help if we can.

11) Post what you're looking to get back in trade. If you're offering things for trade, make it clear for potential trading partners what you're willing to trade for.

12) If you have more than one item for trade, please post them in one single topic instead of starting a new post for each item.

13) If your item is no longer available for trade, please ask a Mod via PM to remove your post. You can also replace the post title with "DELETE" and a Mod will remove it.

Motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, ATVs, bicycles and other items which are non-car/truck items, but still automotive kit-related, should be posted in the Model Cars: Trading Post or Wanted sections. Parts and accessories/parts which can be used on both cars and trucks, such as emergency vehicle light bars, tires, wheels, engines, and decals should also be posted in the Model Cars: Trading Post or Wanted sections unless they are kit parts sourced from a truck kit or are a part which is normally used on a model truck. For example, if you're looking for a Detroit Diesel engine, a set of mudder off-road tires, a headache rack, a topper, an axle truss, Rubber Duck hood ornament, or a wrecker boom, those all should be posted in the Model Trucks: Trade/Wanted section. Please make sure any item you post in the Trade and Wanted sections are model related.